Heading-machine.



W. M. TAYLOR.

HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1,19o.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

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W. M. TAYLR.

HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 7,1906.

902,928, Patented N0v.3,19o8.

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W. M. TAYLOR.

HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED Nerf/,1906.

Patented NOV. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. M. TAYLOR.`

HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov.7,1so.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

WILLIAM M. TAYLOR, OF STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS.

HE ADING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed November 7, 1906. Serial No. 342,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WLLLLA M M. TArLon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stephenville. county of Erath, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for cutting the heads of cane sorghum, Kafir corn, and millo maize, and like plants and for gathering the heads as they are cut, and the object is to provide a machine for cutting the heads from cane of any ordinary height, to provide such machine with means for shifting the cane-heads into position to be cut by blades carried by the machine, and to provide means for collecting the heads as they are cut from the stalks. Other objects and advantages will be fully understood from the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine provided with an elevator for carrying the heads to a wagon. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine, the tongue being left olf and showing a dumping box instead of the elevator shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the invention omitting the tongue. Fig. 4 is a broken detail view illustrating the manner of throwing the machlne out of gear with the power shaft. Fi 5 1s a plan view of the knives, showing their relative position to each other. tail view, illustrating the gearing at one corner of the elevatin mechanism. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one o the frame pieces or sills for supporting the head cutting and gathering mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail View of the clutch operating lever. Fi 9 is a broken rear elevation of the gear or the cutting mechanism, the view being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the lower bearing shown in Fig. 9.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The frameportions of this machine are preferably constructed of pipe. The sills 1 and 2 are supported at their rear ends o n the axle 3 and the front ends are supported on the wheels f1 by means of forks 5. The forward portions 6 are supported in T-connec- Fig. 6 is a de-Y tions 7 into which the shanks of the forks 5 are screwed. For a front frame piece an arch 8, is used instead of a straight axle because the arch will not bend the plants down and the arch is made high enough to pass over all ordinar-y plants. Guides 10 answer somewhat as a tongue for the machine, but they do more. The guides are fiared at the front and serve to gather the cane and bring it closer together. An arch 11 connects the front ends of the uides 10 and arms 12 are attached to the en s of the arch and project down and outward for straightening up stalks of cane that may be bent over. In this manner heads are saved that would be lost without these arms. The machine is not drawn by the tongue, but is drawn by rods 13 which connect with a double-tree 14 which is mounted on the frame piece 15 above the axle 3. The rods 13 are held in place at the front by collars or hangers 16 which engage the forward parts 6 of the sills. Swmgletrees 17 are attached to the forward ends of the draft rods 13. Thus the machine is drawn from the rear part.

The cutting and gathering mechanism is suspended on a rectangular frame which is supported on the sills 1 and 2. A single casting 18 forms the top of this frame. Two of the posts 19 are connected by T-connections 21 and 22 to the sill 1 and two of the posts 20 are connected by T-connections 21 and 22 to sill 2. A box 23 is mounted on frame pieces 24 which have bearings 25 which engage the posts 19 and 20 loosely,- one piece 24 engaging the pair of posts 19 and one piece 2A engaging the pair of posts 20. The box 23 supports the gathering and cutting mechanism and driving gear for the gathering and cutting mechanism and the box 23 with the gathering and cuttin mechanism and the driving gear for sai mechanism is vertically movable as hereinafter described. The object in having the gatherin and cutting mechanism vertically movab e is to adapt the machine to cut the heads from plants of various heights. For this reason the posts 19 and 20 are made high enough to give a considerable range of vertical adjustment.

The gathering and cuttino' mechanism are mounted on the box 23. The heads are cut by rotary knives 26 which lap upon each other to some extent and cut somewhat as scissors cut. The blades are slightly indented with curved indentations and the outward projection of one blade passes over the indentation of the other blade. These blades are mounted on vertical shafts 27. Bearings 28 are provided for thc shafts 27. The l bearings 23 are attached to the underside of the box 23, and are carried by this box. Bevel gear wheels 29 are mounted on the lower ends of the shafts 27. Bevel gear wheels 29 are driven by bevel gear wheels 30 which are driven by the shaft 31. The piece of metal which forms the bearings 28 also forms the upper parts of the bearings 32 for the shaft 31. The lower parts or halves of the bearings 32 are formed integral with a casting 33 which is bolted to the front of the box 23 and also to the bottom of the box 23 by means of arms 34 which extend under the box, the arms 34 being formed integral with the casting 33.

Means are provided for gathering the heads and bringing them in the path of the knives 26. Arms 35 are attached to the bearings 28 and project forwardly and outwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 1. These arms carry drag belts 38 which are provided with outwardly and horizontally projecting teeth and travel as the knives are rotated. The drag belts converge as they approach the knives and thus bring the heads directly in the path of the knives. Sprocket Wheels 36 are mounted on the upper parts of the shafts 27. Idle sprocket wheels 37 are mounted on the arms 35 at the ends thereof and also at the bends of said arms and drag chains 38 are mounted on and driven by the sprocket wheels 36 and 37. The power for driving the shaft 31 is transmitted from the rear axle 3. A bevel gear wheel 39 is loosely mounted on the axle 3. The wheel 39 may be locked to the axle 3 by the clutch 40, as hereinafter described. The wheel 39 drives a bevel gear wheel 41 which is mounted on a shaft 42. A bevel gear wheel 43 is mounted on the forward end of shaft 42. Gear wheel 43 drives a bevel gear wheel 44. The bearings 45 are formed integral with the connections for the sill 2, the post 20 and the sill 6. The wheel 44 is mounted on the vertical shaft 46 which shaft is square in crosssection. The shaft 4G drives a cog-wheel 47 through which the shaft projects loosely in order that the cog-wheel may be moved vertically on this shaft. The co -wheel 47 is supported in a bearing) 48 w ich is rigid with the box 23, being olted thereto. The cog 47 drives a pinion 49 which is mounted on a vertical shaft 50. The shaft 50 is also journaled in the bearing 48. A bevel gear wheel 51 is mounted on and driven by the shaft 50. Gear wheel 51 drives a bevel gear wheel 52 which drives the shaft 31. This completes the description of the gearing for transmitting the power from sha t or axle 3 to the gathering and cuttin mechanism.

The same power drives a trave ing apron 53 which is mounted on drums 54. The drums 54 are journaled in bearings 55 which are attached to the box 23. A bevel gear Wheel 56 is mounted on the shaft of one of the drums 54 and wheel 56 is driven by a gear wheel 57 which is driven by the shaft 31. The gear wheels 57 and 56 might be located at either end of the box 23. The belt or apron 53 has ribs 58 attached thereto. This apron delivers the heads which fall from the knives 26 in the box 23 to one side of the box.

The heads that fall in the box 23 may be delivered to a dumping box 59 shown in Fig. 2, or they be delivered to an elevator 60 for dumping the heads into a wagon, or the heads might be dropped on the ground from the box as the machine moves along.

lf an elevator is used, it may be operated from either side of the box 23. The elevator consists of a traveling apron or carrier 61 which is mounted on the driven drum 62 and the idle drum 63 which are journaled in the frame pieces 64. The drum 62 is also journaled in bearings G5 which are attached to the box 23. The apron 61 may be driven from the shaft 54. Gear wheels 66 are mounted on the shafts 54 and 62 and a belt G7 driven by the gear wheel on shaft 54 mounted on the wheels 66. The outer end of the elevator is held in operative position by a cable 68 which is attached to a bail 69 near the end of the elevator and to a bail 70 attached to the box 23 and passed over a pulley 71 which is hung from the frame 18. The end of the elevator next to the wagon will always remain at the same height above the wagon whether the box 23 is in a low or elevated position because when the bail 70 rises the cable 68 will run through the pulley 71 and the outer end of the elevator will remain at a constant height.

If a dumping box is used it will be arranged as shown in Fig. 2. 59 represents the box. This box is pivotally mounted on pivot bolts 72 which are supported in bearing arms 73 which are attached to the box 23. The side 74 of the box 59 is rigid with the box 23, being made rigid therewith by braces 75. A cable 76 is attached to the outer part of the box 59 by an eye-screw 7 7 and run over the pulley 71 (it being understood that when the box 59 is used the elevator 60 is not used) back towards the seat 77. By pulling on the cable 76 the box 59 may be swung outwards and upwards and the accumulated heads dumped on the ground.

Means are provided for elevating the box 23 together with all the gathering and cutv ting mechanism, the box 23 carrying this mechanism. The sills 24 which support the box 23 have bearings 25 which are movable vertically on the posts 19 and 20 and these which engage the posts loosely and are of sufficient depth to make a irin support at whatever height the box may be elevated. Lugs S are formed on the bearings Q5, as shown in detail in Fig. (l. Sproeltet wheels 79 are mounted on shafts HU which are journaled in bearings Sl which are attached to the upper parts ot' posts 19 and Q0. Sprocket chains H2 are mounted on these sprocket wheels. These sprocket chains are not endless sprocket chains. but only long enough to elevate the box 'to any desired height. The sprocket chains S2 are attached to rods Sil which are threaded and projet-.t through the lugs 7H. Adjusting nuts S4. engage the loiver endsl of rods S9. (labios d5 are tat-hed to the sprocket ehains and run under pullejv's So vvhieh are mounted on the posts 1f) and 2t). The cables S5 are then attached to rings ST which are mounted on the rods 83 between the lugs` TS and nuts S4. By these means the height to which the box Q9) may be elevated can be regulated. The shafts Si) are driven b v bevel gearing as tollovvs. (Klear wheel is mounted on shaft St). rlhis gear wheel is driven by the gear wheel nl) vvhieh mounted on .shaft 90. Shat't Slt) is mounted in bearings 91 which are attached to the posts 2d. Shaft 90 drives a gear Wheel 92. Gear wheel S12 drives a gear Wheel .13 which is mounted` oh and drives the rear shat't S0 and the gearing lnounted on said shaft'. The gearing for elevating the rear ot box 2? is the same in construction as the gearing t'or elevating the :front of said box. The sha t't 90 is driven by hand power. .t bar 5]1 attached to the posts Q0 and extends backward and then bent to 'Form the bearing J5 tor the shat't 90. The sha tt 90 provided with a crank U11 which the operator can use trom his seat. Vtlith the means thus described the operator can regulate the gathering and cutting mechanism to eut the heads from cane of any ordinary height.

Means are provided for throwing the cutting and gathering driving gear out of operation at will. This 1s done by throwing the clutch 40 out ot mesh with the wheel eluteh 0T. The clutch 4t) moves with the axle 3 by reason ciE the lie Y and this clutch is axially movable. A lever is fulerumed on the arch bar 15 and provided with a yoke which engages the clutch 4U in a groove 101 therein. A rack 102 is attached to the arch 15 and the lever 99 carries a lug 10B which engages the rack 102 to hold the lever at the desired adjustment. The tulerum bolt 104 projects torwardly and a spiral spring 105 is mounted on this bolt a nd serves to hold the lug 103 of the lever in engagement with the rack 102. An arch bar 106 is attached to the arms 35 and braces these arms. The main function of this bar 10G is to press the head ot the plants down. Some ot the heads will stand up higher than others. This bar will tend to bring all ot the heads even and the heads Will be engaged by the drag belts 3S as these belts move along so that the` knives '2G will eut the head practically with the same amount otf stalk.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent, isf- 1. A heading machine comprising a wheeled carriage, blades for cutting heads ot plants. drag belts projected in trout ot' said blades tor guiding heads ot` plants lo said blades, a vertically movable receiving box carrying said blades and drag belts and holding the same in operative relation. and means actuated by said carriage for rotating said blades and driving said drag belts at` any atfljustment of said box.

2. A heading machine comprising a Wheeled carriage, blades for cutting heads of plants, upright shafts for said blades provided with suitable bearii'igs, drag belts projected in front of said blades, arms projecting from said bearings and provided With gearing for driving said drag belts, and means actuated by said carri age :lor driving said shafts.

3. A heading machine comprising a Wheeled carriage, blades for cutting heads of plants, drag belts for guiding the heads ot' plants to said blades, arms supporting said drag belts, means carried by said arms for bending the heads of plants in line with said drag belts, and means actuated by said carriage for driving said blades and said drag belts.

4. A heading machine comprising a carriage having' a rotating axle and Wheels therefor supporting the rear of said carriage, an arch and Wheels therefor supporting the front of said carriage, rotary blades, shafts for said blades mounted on said carriage, and gearing actuated by said rear axle for driving said blades.

5. A heading machine comprising a carriage having a rotating axle and Wheels therefor supporting the rear of said carriage, an arch and Wheels therefor supporting the 'ront of said carriage, draft rods operatively connected to said rear axle and supported on the front otthe carriage, rotary blades, shafts for said blades mounted on said carriage, drag belts projected in front of said blades, and gearing actuated by said rear axle for driving said blades and drag belts.

6. A heading machine comprising a `.vheeled carriage having a revolving axle, an upright frame mounted on said carriage, a receiving box mounted on and vertically movable on said upright trame. rotating blades carried by said box, drag belts for guiding heads ol plants to lsaid blades, gearing for driving said blades and drag belts carried by said box, and gearing actuated by said revolving axle for driving said lirst nained gearing at any adjustment of said box.

T. heading niaehine eoinprising a wheeled earriage provided with a revolving axle, a reeeiviiig box, upright posts mounted on said carriage, a horizontal fraine carrying said box and moving loosely on said posts, means for effecting vertical adjustnient oi said box on said upright posts, rotating blades Carried by said box, drag belts4 niovable vertically with said box for guiding the heads o? plants to said blades, gearing carried by said box for driving` said blades and drag belts, a vertieal sliai't` for driving said blade gearing, gearing actuated by said revolving axle for driving said vertieal shaft, and ineans for throwing the last` l nained gearing in or out of gear with said revolving axle.

S. A heading niaeliine Comprising a wheeled Carriage, a receiving box mounted. on said carriage, diLinis` and a delivery belt running on said drains Carried by said box, rotating blades carried by said box, drag belts for guiding the heads of plants to said blades, manually operated gearing lor vertieal adjustment of said box and gearing aetnated by said carriage for driving said blades and said delivery belt and said drag belts, Isaid box holding said drums and delivery belt. drag bells, rotating blades, and gearing therefor in operative relation.

A heading inaeliine Comprising a carriage having a rear revolving axle and wheels tbeie'lor, an are-li and wheels snppoi'ting said areli 'l'oi' supporting the front ol' said carriage, dral't rods operatively oonneeted to said rear axle and supported on the front ol' the earrizlge, swingletrees Conneeted to the said drat't rods. tongues conneeted to said :ii-eli and serving as guides, aiins attaehed to the forward ends of said tongues, an areli connected to the front ends ot the tongues, a reeeiving box inonnted on said carriage, blades carried by said box, and gearing actuated by said revolving axle for driving said blades.

In testimony whereof, I set` niy hand in the presenee of two witnesses, this sixth day ol October, i906.

lllllvililM M. TAYLOR.

litnesses C. H. Biiiniii, J. V. TxYLoii. 

